I am back from vacation and the Parish Life Conference, so I hope to keep this blog more regularly updated. Today I will return to the book of Genesis, chapter 15.

Chapter 15 offers a pivotal moment in the Bible, primarily because in verse 6 Abram (later re-named and subsequently referred to here as Abraham) is “accounted righteous” by God. Whether we like it or not, in a very real way this one verse has shaped the past 2,000 years of history. The reason I make such a bold statement is simple: this verse is the cornerstone of the defense/apologia of the Christian movement as seen most explicitly in Acts, Romans, and Galatians. And, of course, we know that history has been changed because of Christianity.

According to the teachings of Jesus Christ, as thoroughly outlined especially by St Paul of Tarsus, being accounted righteous by God is independent of being perfectly obedient to the Mosaic Law. I believe it is important for Christians to understand that the teachings of Jesus and Paul–that righteousness is found apart from the Mosaic Law–is not a “new” concept, but one found in the Old Testament. Put differently, in defending the teaching of Christ, Paul did not invent a new argument or concept, but simply referred back to Scripture to make his case.

In Paul’s time, as in our own, we are tempted to think (even if we profess something different with our mouths) we are righteous because we follow certain rules (insert the rules of a specific religion or denomination). With religious Jews, it is easy to fall into the trap of righteousness by following the Mosaic Law. However, as Paul correctly points out, Abraham is deemed righteous by God BEFORE the Mosaic Law even exists. Therefore, if one is accounted righteous before the Law is given, then righteousness does not come through the Law. Instead, as Genesis 15:6 indicates, it comes through belief in God.

Now it is important to keep in mind that the word translated “believe” in Genesis 15:6 is more than an intellectual ascent or a simple confession of faith. Rather, biblical belief in God means you put your trust in God. I often compare this to kids and their “belief” in gravity. Give a 3-year old kid a balloon and take him outside. Watch him let go of the balloon and cry when the balloon flies away. The child has such a strong trust in gravity he believes whatever goes up will always come down. The 3-year old in this example has a biblical “belief” in gravity–he behaves according to something unseen based on a trust in that principle.

Ultimately, putting this kind of faith, trust, or belief in God is what leads to us being accounted righteous. It is our authentic admission that we are insufficient before God, and our recognition that only He can correct that, which leads us to holiness. Certainly, if we have that sincere faith, action should follow; we should behave in a certain way. As St James pointed out in his epistle, if our behavior does not match the confession of our lips then it proves we do not have a biblical belief in God, but only the kind of intellectual belief I mentioned previously–and one shared even by the demons (James 2:18-19)! Yet, we should never permit ourselves to think our actions make us holy. It is only God who can deem us holy, and only when we are willing to admit our deficiencies and inadequacies.

As a Yankees fan, the season (and perhaps career) ending injury of Mariano Rivera has been tough news today. For those who are not aware, Mariano Rivera is one of the all-time great baseball players and a New York Yankee. He is one of the best pitchers in the history of the game. Indications were Mariano would retire after this season. He has always been considered a class act as a human being and player, never being connected with any sort of controversy or immorality. He has been as consistent over the past twenty years as any player in any sport, and last was on the disabled list for an injury 9 years ago.

Mariano is respected by his teammates and opponents alike. He is known as a generous, Christian family man. Given his history, everyone familiar with him hoped he would finish with yet another strong season, a fitting tribute to a good human being and superb athlete. No one would have dreamed his career might end in the outfield of Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City during batting practice while he was shagging fly balls and twisted his knee (tearing his ACL).

One of my initial thoughts about this situation was the sadness he surely feels. I also thought about the injustice of the situation. An apparently good, honest, upright man who worked hard and was respected by everyone goes out in such a tragic way. Granted, Mariano has millions of dollars to help comfort him–don’t get me wrong–but for me the deeper issue from a Christian perspective is the lack of justice in this situation.

I think most people consider justice to be a good and noble thing. However, true justice simply does not exist in this world. Furthermore, I would argue, it has little place in Christianity.

St Isaac the Syrian once said (I’m paraphrasing) God is not just. For where is the justice in the only sinless one dying for the sins of others? Now, this is not to say God is unjust, but rather that God exceeds justice (emphasizing a higher virtue of mercy and compassion). The reality is, through God’s grace, we have the possibility of not “getting what we deserve.” We have the possibility of repentance and forgiveness and restoration. Moreover, those in this world who suffer injustices are promised to be recompensed in the afterlife. This is the gist of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). It is also reflected in the Magnificat from Luke’s Gospel: “He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich has He sent empty away” (Luke 1:53).

As Christians, we should spend much less time and energy thinking about “justice.” There is no justice in this world. Instead, in this world, we should focus on showing love, mercy, and compassion. These are the highest gifts, the greatest virtues (1 Corinthians 13:13). “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9:13, see also Matthew 12:7).